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Patna, Jan. 3: The Bihar cabinet today cleared a Rs 1.5-lakh crore agriculture roadmap, paving the first step for a rainbow revolution in the state in the next five years.
The roadmap would benefit not just farmers but also those involved in fisheries, dairies and poultries.
Foodgrain production target has also been revised, almost doubled, for next five years. Special emphasis has been given on agriculture education, which would be imparted from high school-level in the state. The session from which the decision would be implemented in schools has not been fixed yet.
“The agriculture cabinet gave its nod to a broader outline of the agriculture roadmap, which would be implemented from April this year. A total of Rs 1,52,511 crore would be spent on different sectors over a period of five years. The roadmap would be finalised only after incorporating the farmers’ views in it,” development commissioner-cum-agriculture production commissioner Ashok Kumar Sinha told reporters after the agriculture cabinet meeting.
The state government would hold a farmers’ meet christened “Kisan Samagam” in Patna on February 1. Around 2,000 farmers from different districts would participate in the meet. The farmers would be asked for their suggestions, which would be incorporated in the roadmap before giving it the final nod.
The budget of Rs 1,52,511 crore would be spent over a period of five years from 2012-13 to 2016-17 in various sectors, including agriculture production, energy, rural works department, animal and fish resources, co-operatives, water resources, minor irrigation, food processing, enhancement of foodgrain storage capacity, providing marketing linkages, forests and environment, agriculture research and education and revenue.
“The cabinet has also decided to constitute a resource management group headed by the chief secretary. The group would suggest ways and means as how and from where funds would be mobilised for the schemes and projects to be implemented under the roadmap,” Sinha said, adding that the group would also consider various sources such as central plan and schemes, state plan and financial agencies from where funds can be mobilised.
The government’s seriousness vis-à-vis strengthening the agriculture sector can be gauged from the fact that it has put agriculture education on the foreground of its roadmap.
“Agriculture will be taught as a subject from high school (from Class IX). Agriculture will be another stream apart from traditional science, art and commerce for students at the Intermediate level,” the development commissioner said. On when agriculture education would be started in schools, Sinha said it would take some time as specialised teachers will have to be hired besides making infrastructural arrangements in schools.
Education minister P.K. Shahi and the department’s principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh were also present in the meeting today.
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